Piano-lid support



(NoModelg) H. S. TUCKER.v

PIANO LID SUPPORL Patented Sept. 5,.11832 2 m r 7 v m. Washington. a. a

' UNITED STATES ATENT OFFIcE.

I HENRY S. TUCKER, OF FAULKNER, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALEXANDER GLOVER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PIANO-Ll D SUPPO RT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 264,049, dated September 5, 1882,

Application filed March 13. 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HENRY S. TUCKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Faulkner, in the county of Middlesex and State of 5 Massachusetts, have invented cetain new and useful Improvementsin Piano-GoverSupportsj and I do hereby declare that the same are fully described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

' IO This invention relates to improvements in case and its cover or lid, the latter being shown as held open by the support. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of the rack. Fig. 3 represents a cross-section on the line A B shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a crosssection on the line C D, and Fig. 5 represents a cross-section on the line E F, both shown in 2: Fig. 2.

, Similar letters refer to similar' parts wherever they occur on the different parts of the drawings.

(t represents an interior portion of a piano- 0 case, and 1) represents its hinged lid or cover,

as usual, on which 0 is one of the hinges.

To the under side of the lid or cover I) is secured the bracket d, to which the pawl e is hinged, as shown in Fig. 1.

G represents the improved rack, which is secured to the inside of the case a by means of suitable screws,ff. The rack G is preferably made of metal, cast in one piece, and is composed of the flange or plate g, which is 40 adapted to rest against the inside of the case a. It is further provided with a row of teeth,

9 g 9, into which the lower end of the pawl e rests when the cover or lid 1) is to be kept in an open position, as shown in Fig. 1. Parallel with and outside of the teeth 9 g g is a return groove or channel, 9, which is open from one end to the other, as shown. At the back of the rear tooth g is an inclined piece,

9', the base of which terminates in the rear of the open channel g, as shown in Figs. 1, 5o 2, and 5, by which arrangement, when the lid or cover I; is raised, sufiiciently, the lower end of the pawl e passesby the front-end of the incline g and drops them automatically into the return groove or channel g, when the lid or cover I) may be folded down without handling or manipulating or raising the pawl e in any manner; and in so doing, when the pawl 6 reaches the forward end of the groove or channel g, it drops automatically into the recessg at the front of and in a line with the first tooth g of the rack, so as to automatically conduct the lower end of the pawl e to engage with the teeth g g, when the lid or cover I) is again more orless raised, as may be desired.

Thus it will be seen that the cover of a piano, refrigerator, or other piece of furniture, when provided with my improved automatic sup port, may be raised, held in any desired open position, and unlocked without handling or manipulating the pawl e in any manner, and this is very desirable, particularly on heavy piano-covers having a support in each of two opposite ends, which, according to my invention, may be automatically released simply by raising one end of the cover sufficiently to allow the pawl or pawls to drop automatically into their respective return-channels y, when the lid or cover may be closed down without the need of first releasing the support in one end and then the one in the opposite end, as ordinarily is the case.

What I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim is- The herein-described lid or cover support, consisting of the teeth 9 g, the return-groove g, incline g, and recess 9 combined and arranged with the hinged pawl c in a manner and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY S. TUCKER.

W'itnesses:

ALBAN ANDRI JN, HENRY CHADBOURN. 

